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Today: January 23, 2025
Today: January 23, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week

Schools and colleges were closed after record monsoon rains led to massive waterlogging, road caves-in, collapsed homes and gridlocked traffic in large parts of northern India this week, killing more than 100 people, officials said Thursday. At least 88 people died and more than 100 were injured in the worst hit-mountainous Himachal Pradesh state where cars, buses, bridges and houses were swept away by swirling flood waters, a state government statement said. The region is nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of New Delhi. Twelve people have died of rain-related incidents since Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh

Record monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people in northern India this week
World

Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary

Maria Corina Machado has been a longtime foe of Venezuela’s government, and not exactly a unifying figure for its critics. But the government’s move to ban her from public office has helped rally the fractured opposition and focus much-needed attention on their effort to hold an independent presidential primary. The ban was issued just days after she entered the race, and Machado says it shows that the government knows that it could face defeat. “If anyone had doubts about the strategic importance, the value, of the primaries, … the actions of the regime have made this

Venezuela government's ban on longtime foe draws attention to the opposition's presidential primary
World

Tens of thousands of doctors in England start 'longest' strike in health system's history

Britain’s state-funded health care service is facing what is being described as its longest-ever strike as tens of thousands of doctors in England commenced a five-day walkout over pay on Thursday. So-called junior doctors, those who are at the early stages of their careers in the years after medical school, started their strike at 7 a.m., with many of them making their case for a 35% pay rise in picket lines outside hospitals across England. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has asked for a 35% pay rise to bring junior doctors’ pay back to 2008

Tens of thousands of doctors in England start 'longest' strike in health system's history
World

Kevin Spacey testifies in his own defense in his sexual assault trial at a London court

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday in his sexual assault trial, swearing in a clear and loud voice to tell the “full truth and nothing but the truth” in what could be the most consequential speaking part of his life. Spacey began by discussing how he got involved in the theater, joking that his mother would say he began acting the moment he emerged from the womb. The testimony provided some light history on his life before delving into the serious matter before the court. Four men have accused the two-time Oscar winner of sexually assaulting them between 2001

Kevin Spacey testifies in his own defense in his sexual assault trial at a London court
Political

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness at Jan. 6 hearings, has a book deal

A former White House aide to President Donald Trump who became a prominent congressional witness against him and his allies in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol has a book deal. Cassidy Hutchinson’s “Enough” will be released Sept. 26 by Simon & Schuster. “With ‘Enough,’ she provides a riveting account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis,” according to the publisher’s announcement. “She risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington and some of

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness at Jan. 6 hearings, has a book deal
World

Google rolls out AI chatbot Bard to Europe and Brazil and adds more languages

Google said Thursday that it’s rolling out its AI-powered chatbot Bard across Europe and in Brazil, expanding its availability to hundreds of millions more users. The company also said it’s adding more features to Bard as it scrambles to keep up with rival Microsoft — which uses OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT service in its Bing search engine — in the race to develop pivotal artificial intelligence for commercial use. Google launched Bard in February, but its planned rollout last month in the European Union was delayed as regulators checked whether the service complied with the 27-nation bloc’s strict

Google rolls out AI chatbot Bard to Europe and Brazil and adds more languages
World

Top general's dismissal reveals new crack in Russian military leadership

A Russian general in charge of forces fighting in southern Ukraine has been relieved of his duties after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops in a move that reflected new fissures in the Russian military command following a brief rebellion by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army fighting in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, which is a focal point in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, said in an audio statement to his troops released late Wednesday that he was dismissed after a meeting with the top military brass. Popov

Top general's dismissal reveals new crack in Russian military leadership
Science

Climate talks chief, who also heads oil company, says world must 'attack all emissions, everywhere'

The head of this year’s United Nations’ climate talks called Thursday for governments and businesses to tackle global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all regions and sectors if they want to stop the planet from passing a key temperature limit agreed on more than seven years ago. Sultan al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates, who also heads one of the country’s state oil companies, told senior officials from Europe, Canada and China gathered in Brussels that record-breaking heat seen in parts of the world recently shows the need for urgent action to curb emissions. Laying

Climate talks chief, who also heads oil company, says world must 'attack all emissions, everywhere'
Science

Climate talks chief, who also heads oil company, says world must 'attack all emissions, everywhere'

The head of this year’s United Nations’ climate talks called Thursday for governments and businesses to tackle global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all regions and sectors if they want to stop the planet from passing a key temperature limit agreed on more than seven years ago. Sultan al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates, who also heads one of the country’s state oil companies, told senior officials from Europe, Canada and China gathered in Brussels that record-breaking heat seen in parts of the world recently shows the need for urgent action to curb emissions. Laying

Climate talks chief, who also heads oil company, says world must 'attack all emissions, everywhere'
World

Germany presents long-awaited strategy on China, stresses economic security

The German government on Thursday presented a long-awaited strategy for relations with China that points to a “systemic rivalry” with the Asian power and a need to reduce risks of economic dependency, but highlights Berlin’s desire to work with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and maintain trade ties. The 64-page document approved by Chancellor OIaf Scholz’s Cabinet builds on Germany’s first national security strategy, issued a month ago. Scholz’s three-party coalition had pledged when it took office in late 2021 to draw up a “comprehensive China strategy.” Germany has Europe’s biggest economy and is the

Germany presents long-awaited strategy on China, stresses economic security
World

PepsiCo raises 2023 profit expectations as price hikes offset falling sales volume

Higher prices lifted PepsiCo’s revenue in the second quarter but dented consumer demand, and the company said Thursday that price increases could start to moderate in the second half of this year. Snack food volumes fell 3% in the April-June period, while beverage volumes dropped 1%. Yet net pricing rose 15%, the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit price increases from PepsiCo. The Purchase, New York, company reported better-than-expected revenue and raised its full-year earnings forecasts. Pepsi’s revenue rose 10% to $22.3 billion, topping Wall Street’s projections for $21.7 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet. PepsiCo shares were flat in

PepsiCo raises 2023 profit expectations as price hikes offset falling sales volume
World

Delta puts up record quarterly numbers as travel surges despite expectations of a spending pullback

Delta Air Lines reported unprecedented quarterly profit and revenue Thursday and raised its expectations for a year after travelers took to the skies in huge numbers, defying some forecasts of a pullback in spending. Revenue soared almost 13% to $15.58 billion, a surprising jump even for a carrier that has outperformed consistently. Shares rose almost 5% before the opening bell, on a trajectory to set a new 52-week high, and pulled major carriers higher with it. “Robust demand is continuing into the September quarter where we expect total revenue to be similar to the June quarter, up 11 percent to

Delta puts up record quarterly numbers as travel surges despite expectations of a spending pullback
World

European court says suspension of Polish judge criticizing government was against EU law

Europe’s top court ruled on Thursday that suspension in Poland of a judge who had criticized the government is against the EU’s law and he should be returned to the bench with full pay. The decision was the latest in a string of European Union decisions ordering Poland’s right-wing government to roll back changes to the judiciary that the EU says are in violation of the rule of law. Judge Igor Tuleya was suspended in 2020 and had his pay reduced by a judicial disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court, a body created and controlled by

European court says suspension of Polish judge criticizing government was against EU law
World

Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million for Saturday after no winner in latest drawing

The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $875 million after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing. No ticket for Wednesday’s $750 million jackpot matched the white balls 23, 35, 45, 66, 67 and red Powerball 20. The new jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is the third highest in the history of the game. Ticket buyers have a chance at either $875 million paid out in yearly increments or a $441.9 million one-time lump sum before taxes. The game’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw

Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million for Saturday after no winner in latest drawing
World

Brawl erupts in Kosovo's parliament during prime minister's speech on defusing tensions with Serbs

A brawl erupted in the Kosovo parliament on Thursday after an opposition lawmaker threw water on Prime Minister Albin Kurti while he was speaking about government measures to defuse tensions with ethnic Serbs in the country’s north. Kosovo opposition parties have criticized Kurti’s policies in the north that have strained relations with key Western allies. The United States and the European Union have pressured Kurti to help calm the situation after violence broke out in May after police-backed ethnic Albanian mayors took office following an election that the ethnic Serb majority in the area had widely

Brawl erupts in Kosovo's parliament during prime minister's speech on defusing tensions with Serbs
World

Italy rail strike strands commuters and tourists in sweltering weather at height of tourism season

Commuters and tourists alike were stranded by a major train strike across Italy on a sweltering Thursday, with cancellations affecting even high-speed lines that are usually guaranteed during Italy’s frequent work stoppages. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini signed a decree ordering the two-day strike be cut in half, but even that truncated stoppage forced the cancellation of service up and down the peninsula on a weekday, at the height of Italy’s booming high tourist season. At Milan’s main rail station, for example, eight of 20 scheduled Trenitalia trains scheduled between 10:30-11:30 a.m. were canceled. State-run Trenitalia warned of

Italy rail strike strands commuters and tourists in sweltering weather at height of tourism season
World

France's parliament approves big boost in military spending, spurred by Ukraine war

France’s parliament on Thursday approved a multi-billion-euro boost to military spending through the rest of this decade, spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine and fast-growing global threats. President Emmanuel Macron pushed for the bigger budget, which would spend 413 billion euros ($450 billion), the most significant spending hike in half a century. The money would modernize France’s nuclear arsenal, augment intelligence spending and develop more remote-controlled weapons. He has argued the boost was needed to ensure “our freedom, our security, our prosperity, our place in the world.” The defense minister has compared it to France’s push in

France's parliament approves big boost in military spending, spurred by Ukraine war
World

Russian lawmakers move to further restrict transgender rights in a new legislation

Russian lawmakers on Thursday approved a toughened version of a bill that outlaws gender transitioning procedures, with added clauses that annul marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bar transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The bill received swift, unanimous approval of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, in its key second reading, and lawmakers scheduled the third and final reading for Friday. There is little doubt that the bill, a crippling blow to Russia’s oppressed LGBTQ+ community, will be adopted amid the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views

Russian lawmakers move to further restrict transgender rights in a new legislation
Science

Little-known but efficient, a different way to heat and cool your house

Summers are famously humid in New York State, but life in the Maioli household has gotten more comfortable since the couple installed a new heating and cooling system — one that isn’t well known yet in the U.S. “My wife is pretty happy because in the summer we can keep it to as cold as we like,” typically 69 or 70 F, said Joe Maioli, in Ontario, New York. In 2021, the couple installed a geothermal or ground source heat pump. The units you see that look like box fans outside homes and businesses are the more common air-source heat

Little-known but efficient, a different way to heat and cool your house
Science

Here's how geothermal energy heats and cools a home

Some homeowners looking to switch out their heating and cooling systems are turning to home geothermal — also known as ground source — heat pumps. It’s a technology that relies on a simple physical fact: Dig several feet below Earth’s surface, in the coldest winter or the hottest summer, and the temperature will be around 55 degrees. Geothermal takes advantage of that constant temperature by pushing water with some antifreeze through a loop of flexible pipe that runs deep underground. The water gets circulated by a heat pump system, usually located in the basement. When the house needs cooling —

Here's how geothermal energy heats and cools a home
Arts

Helen Mirren visits Jerusalem for new film 'Golda,' says she is inspired by anti-government protests

Helen Mirren, who plays Israel’s first female prime minister in her latest film, says she has been inspired by the widespread protests against the country’s current prime minister. Mirren, who portrays the late Golda Meir during the 1973 war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states in “Golda,” is visiting an Israel similarly beset by crisis as mass demonstrations take place against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system. Mirren told a news conference before the opening of the Jerusalem Film Festival that she is inspired by the protests. “I’m personally very

Helen Mirren visits Jerusalem for new film 'Golda,' says she is inspired by anti-government protests
World

US wholesale prices for June point to further easing of inflation pressures

Wholesale prices in the United States decelerated again last month, the latest sign that inflationary pressures are easing in the face of the Federal Reserve’s streak of interest rate hikes. The government’s producer price index — which measures inflation before it reaches consumers — rose just 0.1% last month from June 2022, the smallest such increase since August 2020. And from May to June, prices rose an identical 0.1% after having fallen 0.4% from April to May. The index that the Labor Department issued Thursday reflects prices charged by manufacturers, farmers and wholesalers. It can provide an

US wholesale prices for June point to further easing of inflation pressures
Environment

Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US

Flood damage in Edenville, Mich., after a dam failed on May 19, 2020. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Heavy rainfall in the Northeast on June 9-11, 2023, generated widespread flooding, particularly in New York’s Hudson Valley and in Vermont. One major concern was the Wrightsville Dam, built in 1935 on the Winooski River north of Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier. The reservoir behind the dam rose to within 1 foot of the dam’s maximum storage capacity, prompting warnings that water could overtop the dam and worsen already-dangerous conditions downstream, or damage the dam. Hiba Baroud, associate professor and associate chair in the department

Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US
World

US Jobless Rates Plummet. Is the Labor Market Secretly Rebelling Against the Fed?

The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits fell again last week as the labor market continues defy the Federal Reserve’s attempt to cool it through higher interest rates. U.S. applications for jobless claims fell by 12,000 to 237,000 for the week ending July 8, from 249,000 previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out some of the week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 6,750 to 246,750. Jobless claim applications are seen as a proxy for the number of layoffs in a given week. Overall, 1.73 million people were collecting unemployment benefits

US Jobless Rates Plummet. Is the Labor Market Secretly Rebelling Against the Fed?
Economy

Weather forecast accuracy is crucial in a heat wave – 1 degree can mean the difference between life and death

Extreme heat can put lives at risk, making accurate forecasts essential for people working outdoors. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images Weather forecasts have gotten quite good over the years, but their temperatures aren’t always spot on – and the result when they underplay extremes can be lethal. Even a 1-degree difference in a forecast’s accuracy can be the difference between life and death, our research shows. As economists, we have studied how people use forecasts to manage weather risks. In a new working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, we looked at how human survival depends on the

Weather forecast accuracy is crucial in a heat wave – 1 degree can mean the difference between life and death

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